OC Receives $1,500 CVS Caremark Community Grant

Thursday, Jan 6, 2011

Oklahoma Christian announced today that it has received a $1,500 CVS Caremark Community Grant. Grants were awarded to organizations that share a common vision with CVS Caremark’s All Kids Can program, which strives to make life easier for children with disabilities.

“This grant will be used to enhance education professor Max Dobson’s program for special needs children from Edmond Public Schools,” said Jo Griffin, OC’s director of foundation and corporate relations. “Specifically, it will go toward the purchase carpeting in Max’s athletic practice facility, affectionately known as “The Barn.”

Dobson, who served for many years as a baseball and basketball coach at OC, has taught a class each year since 1976 called Teaching the Exceptional Child. Special needs children from Edmond schools take part in physical activity alongside OC students in The Barn.

“This program could not have been possible without the help and encouragement of so many people and organizations just like CVS,” said Dobson. “This will be a great benefit to the Edmond students we serve.”

Dobson’s program was selected because it was a perfect match with the mission of the pharmacy chain’s grant program. The goal of CVS Caremark’s All Kids Can is to create more inclusive environments for children with and without disabilities to build self-esteem, lasting friendships and social skills, and to help children without disabilities learn diversity and tolerance.

“CVS Caremark Community Grants are an effective way for us to contribute to the success of communities where we do business,” said Jennifer Veilleux, director of CVS Caremark Corporation. “We are proud to support this work that Oklahoma Christian does in the community.”

Through numerous donations and through his own efforts, Dobson has acquired many things for the children to enjoy, including a trampoline, tricycles, basketballs, hula hoops and much more. More than 1,500 OC students have participated in the program through the years, helping touch and change the lives of many people.

“CVS Caremark is committed to helping children with disabilities learn, play and succeed in life,” said Dennis Palmer,” senior vice president, West Division, CVS/pharmacy. “Through this grant, we are proud to be able to help make an impact on the lives of children in the Edmond community.”

About CVS Caremark All Kids Can
All Kids Can, a program of the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust and CVS Caremark, is a five-year, $25 million commitment to support children with disabilities. The goals of All Kids Can are to support children with disabilities by raising awareness in schools and in local communities about the importance of inclusion, creating greater opportunities for physical activity and play, and providing access to medical rehabilitation and related services. CVS Caremark and its more than 190,000 employees plan to help children with disabilities learn, play and succeed through partnerships with leading local and national nonprofit organizations across the country. For more information, visit www.cvsallkidscan.com.